Yoo Hoo?

Anybody out there? I have been remiss in my blogging efforts. I have a million excuses including an unexpected quick trip that had to be made last minute, illness, holiday chaos, and deadline hell. I am going to try to do better. I failed miserably at my 3 November goals (see excuses above).

In better news, I have seen a lot of movies in the past weeks. The Departed has a fantastic cast and incredible acting, most notably by Leonardo DiCaprio (did I spell that last name correctly?) and Jack Nicholson. Leo has grown up very nicely, I might add. Can't wait to see him in Blood Diamond, which also looks great, judging by the previews. The Departed is not for the faint of heart. Extremely gritty and violent. Vulger, too, but in a realistic way rather than gratuitously. The story deals with the Irish mafia so... Also saw Stranger Than Fiction and loved, loved, loved it! Smart humor, rather than Will Ferrel's (did I spell that last name correctly?) usual juvenile naughty humor -- i.e. jogging naked, etc. (Don't get me wrong, if I'm in the mood, I like his silly movies, too!) Stranger Than Fiction is the sort of movie that makes you think about its meaning long after its over. Let's see...what else? Borat. Oh my God. Very crude. Very politically incorrect and offensive. Very prone to induce uncontrollable fits of laughter. There's one scene...well, let's just say you can't look away, though you really wish you could. And you can't believe what you're seeing! If you go, you might want to wear a disguise so as not to be recognized coming out of the theatre by neighbors or your sweet Aunt Rose. :-) Also saw The Prestige. Not my favorite of the movies I've seen of late, but still very good. It's about an obsessive competition between magicians back in the top hat days. I loved the time period and the costumes. Also, it had a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Finally, I saw Bobby. I heard people grumbling that they didn't like the movie as we were leaving. But I thought it was fantastic and so did my 20 year old son, who went with me. I think the people who were disappointed probably thought it would deal more with Bobby Kennedy's assassination. The story is about what was happening in the lives of some of the people who were in the hotel that day in the hours leading up to the shooting. To me, it really sent a message about how violence affects people from all races, of all ages, from all walks of life. Bobby Kennedy's speech, voiced over during the final images at the end, is so powerful I had goosebumps. Oh, to have people in office again whose words can so effectively inspire and stir emotion!

After reading the above over, I think I need to make my new goal to learn how to spell last names! Anyway, back to the craziness of Christmas preparations, deadlines, etc.!

Stay warm!

Jenny

Marge In Charge, Sexy Rockers & The Magic of Three

Anyone out there? I've been blog-resistant lately. Not intentionally. Just busy. My husband, youngest son and I went to Tennessee to look at a school that offers a program my son is interested in. I'd never been to TN before. It was a whirlwind trip, and I didn't get to see as much as I would've liked, but we got a lot accomplished and managed to squeeze in some fun, too. The trees were gorgeous. Lots of them and they were vibrant with color--reds, yellows and oranges. We spent one evening walking up and down Broadway in Nashville. Every club and/or restaurant we passed had live music and the bands were all incredibly talented. Another night we went to see Aerosmith at an outdoor ampitheatre! Stephen Tyler still has "it!" I'm not sure what "it" is, but he's chock full of it. Despite the fact that in some weird way he's sort of androgynous, he is very sexy. And what a fantastic performer! In fact, the entire band is incredible. I would see them again in a second. And again! If you ever get the chance, pay the bucks for a close-up seat. You won't be sorry. Yes, I admit it, I'm a rocker at heart and always have been.

On the plane ride home from Tennessee, I read an article about a scientist (whose name escapes me) who believes that if a person makes some new activity a part of their daily routine for 28 days (I *think* it's 28, it's 20-something...) it becomes a habit. He also believes in the "magic of three." At the first of every month, he chooses 3 new "habits" he wants to instill into his life, and he commits to doing those 3 things daily for the next 28 days. The idea is that, by the end of the month, those things will be an instilled part of his life. Then it's a new month and he chooses 3 more. So, as tomorrow is November 1 and the start of a new month, I'm going to give this a try. You read it here: Every day for the next month I will:
1) Walk 10,000 steps using my trusty new Digi-Walker my fabulously fit sis-in-law gave me to count the steps.
2) Have my butt in a chair and be working on my writing--no emails, checking Amazon, Googling for reviews, etc. -- by 9:00 a.m. at the latest, 5 days a week, and work for a minimum of 3 hours. (Now this doesn't mean that's *all* I'll work. This is just the MINIMUM DAILY. In order to meet my deadlines, I'll have to work a lot more than this most days. The object here is to set a fixed working time. A scheduled time set aside for nothing but writing. I'm bad about that.)
3) This one I'm not sharing, but it has to do with goalsetting.
I'll keep you posted on my progress with all this! Wish me luck...

Last Thursday, my puppy Marge and I started obedience school at Petsmart. We'll be going once a week for the next 7 weeks. Marge has lived with us for about 7 months now and she has definitely asserted her presence. At my house, Marge is in charge. Or at least it seems that way sometimes. I love her, but it's time she figured out who is boss -- not her hopefully! Petsmart teaches clicker/reward training. Our homework before this week's meeting is to (1) learn that the sound of the clicker means she's going to get a reward (2) learn the command "Watch Me" (Call her name to get her attention, when she looks at my face say "watch me" and if she keeps her focus on my face, click the clicker then give her a treat (3) learn her "release phrase." This is what I'll say after she's done what I asked her to do and now she can stop. I'm going to use the words "That's it."

In writing news, my agent sent out my YA novel to 14 publishers about 3 weeks ago and we're still waiting for the good news that at least one of them thinks it's wonderful and wants to buy it for big bucks (thinking positive here!). Send good vibes my way.

In the meantime, happy reading!

Jenny

It's A Bird...No, It's A Plane...Or Is It Superman?

So I'm reading through the first draft of my current novel-in-progress and I start to notice I have a lot of references to birds in the story. A LOT. One of the characters even has the nickname "Chick." There are also alot of gardening references. And the thing is...I didn't do this intentionally. Obviously, some hidden themes are struggling to emerge in this book. What is the deal with the birds and the gardening? Are those birds really birds? Or do they symbolize something else? Freedom, perhaps? Loyalty because, though they migrate, they always return? Honesty and truth? Maybe. A verse in Ecclesiastes in the Bible says: "Curse not the king, no, not in thy thoughts; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; a little bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter." Hmmm...I wonder. Who is Chick, really? As for the gardening, do those flowers and vegetables sprouting up in scene after scene signify growth in my protagonist, Maggie? Are all those weeds she's suddenly desperate to pull really the clutter in her life she is finally ready to uproot and toss aside?

Then again, maybe that's all a bunch of baloney. Maybe I've been craving Popeye's fried chicken the past months while I've been working on this book, and I've been obsessing about gardening because my thumb is far from green yet we've been remodeling our backyard and I have huge beds now to fill in the spring.(Was going to include photo of yard-in-progress and the gorgeous pergola my talented husband is building, but Blogger won't upload it). Either way, I'll find out soon enough. That's what I love about revising. Having that first draft, that huge lump of clay I've been mixing complete, and now I can really experiment with it, carve away what doesn't work, find the hidden surprises, mold and smooth until I find the right shape and the story and people in it become real.

Today my local writing club, Panhandle Professional Writers, held an Entertainment sale to earn money for the organization. I sat outside in our first day of real cold, froze my fingers off while autographing books, talked for 30 seconds on the radio to help promote the event and gave back 20% of my proceeds to the club. It was fun despite the cold, despite the fact that the radio guy introduced me on-air as Jennifer "Author" rather than "Archer!" Ah, well... I got to catch up with some writer friends I don't see often. One, Deborah Eliott Upton is always so much fun. We started out together. She was the first person I met in my first creative writing class many years ago, and vice versa. We've been through a lot together. She has a mystery story out in an anthology about the Seven Deadly Sins. Debbie is such a great writer. You should check out her website and buy her book if you're so inclined. http://www.expressedimagination.com/

On the reading front, I recently finished a fantastic book Blackberry Winter by Cheryl Reavis. It's been a long time since I've read characters who became this real to me. I catch myself thinking about these "people" all the time, lately. Blackberry Winter will probably be difficult to find in bookstores since it's been out a while. This is a story of family, regrets, forgiveness and finding home. Sounds heavy, but there's warmth and humor, too. It's worth having a bookstore order it for you, or buy it through Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com.

I'm off to analyze the birds in my story now! Stay warm!

Jenny

Fred Head, Or: Where Is Fred's Head, Anyway?

In the gutter, methinks... In the political race for Texas State Comptroller, Democrat Fred Head is running against Republican Susan Combs. Ms. Combs wrote and published a romance novel entitled THE PERFECT MATCH in 1990 and Mr. Head is labeling her a pornographer because of it. This one you have to see to believe. Here's Mr. Head up his tight...ahem...Mr. Head's website with the book cover and snippets of text he selected to display from the novel.
http://www.votefredhead.com/susan.html

Now...I'm a Texan, and I'm a democrat. But I'm also a romance novelist. And I detest sleaze campaigns. This truly galls me and, though I'm not usually one to get into things, this morning, I sent the following letter to Fred Head.

Dear Mr. Head,

I am a Texas Democrat and a novelist. Though I currently write mainstream fiction, I wrote three romance novels in the past. For you to make your opponent's romance novel A PERFECT MATCH an issue in this campaign is sleazy politics, in my opinion. For the first time in years, I am considering casting my vote for a Republican. Why? Labeling an entire piece of work "pornographic" based only on snippets of text pulled from the book is ignorant and unfair, and I cannot in good conscience vote for a candidate who makes claims based on imcomplete information and misguided assumption. Have you read your opponent's book from cover-to-cover? Have you ever read ANY romance novel? If so, how many? I have read hundreds, and though I have not read A PERFECT MATCH in its entirety, I do know that pornography denigrates love and degrades human beings, while books in the romance genre are typically uplifting stories about the power of love. Sex may be an _expression of that love, but sex within a loving relationship is not degrading. According to Romance Writers of America (RWA), an organization of over 9,000 members, "in a romance, the main plot concerns two people falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. The conflict in the book centers on the love story. The climax in the book resolves the love story." RWA goes on to explain that, "romance novels are based on the idea of an innate emotional justice -- the notion that good people in the world are rewarded and evil people are punished. In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded emotional justice and unconditional love." In my writing of romance novels and vast romance reading experience, I find this definition to be true. Does this sound like pornography to you?

This summer, the Romance Writers of America held their annual conference in Atlanta. At the "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing that took place during the event and was open to the public, romance authors autographed and sold their novels, donated free of charge by their publishers, and raised sixty-four thousand dollars for literacy. Through RWA, romance authors and publishers have now passed the half-million mark in overall giving to literacy. Do we sound like "pornographers" who should apologize for what we do? Or do we sound like good, concerned citizens? "Professional, creative artists," as RWA states, who "contribute to constructive action in culture."

Mr. Head, as a Texas Democrat, I ask that you admit you jumped to the conclusion that romance novels were pornography on an assumption. Stop this type of smear campaigning against your opponent and stick to the relevant issues. You might also apologize to the many romance readers and writers you have offended by alleging they read and write porn. In case you didn't know, Romance Fiction accounts for $1.2 billion in sales each year, 54.9% of all popular mass market fiction sold, and 33.9% of all fiction sold. Our state and country need smart Democrats in office again. Please be one of them.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Archer


Well, I guess I better get busy writing my "pornography." I'm under deadline...

Happy Reading,

Jenny
www.jenniferarcher.net

Why I Love Autumn Best

Fall is in the air -- my favorite time of year. I love the brisk coolness, gold and red leaves scattering across the streets, pumpkin patches, soft sweaters and socks. Food tastes better in the Fall -- I'm not sure why. Caramel apples, hot cider, anything cooked in a crock pot. This past weekend, we spent time at our cabin with family (see photos of the fall leaves, etc.) and I made this recipe. It's fast, easy, and delicious.

CARNE ASADA

1 pork tenderloin cut into small chunks
2 small cans tomato sauce
A few dashes of your favorite spices -- I like Emeril's seasoning, garlic powder, onion salt, pepper, and oregano.
Dump everything into crock pot and stir. Cook on low all day. Serve in warm flour tortillas with grated cheese, salsa, avacado slices, lettuce.


Autumn is also a great time to curl up on the sofa with a book or to watch a movie. I did both this weekend, too. I finished the novel THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS by Gayle Brandeis. It was interesting and well-written, but not the sort of story material I would have gravitated toward on my own. That's why I really like having friends with whom I exchange books -- it exposes me to authors and types of novels I probably wouldn't read otherwise. That's a good thing. There's nothing worse than getting caught in a rut! My friend Michelle shared this novel with me. It weaves environmental issues into a heartwrenching mother/daughter tale. The movie I watched was a Disney called EIGHT BELOW, about a guide in Antarctica who is forced to leave his sled dogs behind during a recordbreaking harsh winter when a man is injured and there isn't enough room on the plane for the animals. I'm a sucker for a well-done animal story that tugs at the heartstrings. I loved this one!

On the writing front, I've been a bit under the weather and have given myself a short break. But I'll be back at it tomorrow. The rough draft of WHAT SHE NEVER EXPECTED is only a few pages away from completion. Then I have a lot of research to complete, that I've skipped over in an effort to push through to the end. Over the next weeks I plan to tour the pediatric ICU of one of my local hospitals, talk to some of my nurse buddies, my prior "boss" at the law firm and various other folks whose expertise can help me bring this story to life. I'm still waiting for news from Harlequin about the woman and charity I'll be writing about in the 2007 MORE THAN WORDS Anthology. Oh, and my agent sent PICTURE THIS (my Young Adult ghost story) out into the publishing world today to look for a home! I'm holding my breath. I love that book!


Off to bed with me. It's time to get well! I can't afford another sick day. And I want to enjoy the cool autumn weather predicted for the days ahead. I'd love it if you'd share your favorite fall recipes, books and movies with me!

Happy Reading,

Jenny

Haunted Houses, Break-Out Books & Writing Fast

I know I promised photos of Candace Havens and Britta Coleman giving their workshop and/or at their booksigning last weekend, but I haven't loaded them yet. And, to be honest, I was so caught up in their talk, I took very few. But I promise to post what I have soon. Stay tuned... So why the haunted house, you ask? When I was writing my Young Adult novel "Picture This," I ran across this picture and I couldn't believe it! This was the haunted house in my story. Right up to the tip top of that awesome, creepy turret. I finally turned in to my agent the latest new and improved version of the manuscript, she read it, and she's sending out into the world of editors either tomorrow or next week! So in honor of Tansy, Papa Dan and Millicent Moon (the characters in "Picture This"), here's a look at their house. Wish them luck finding a publishing house, as well. (Fingers crossed tightly.)

Back to Britta and Candy's workshop. Britta spoke about writing a "break-out" book, and Candy spoke about writing fast, getting that first draft down on paper before becoming hung-up in trying to make it perfect. They both talked about "writer karma." Reaping what you sow, so to speak. I needed reminders about all of those things, and I wasn't disappointed. Some things that stuck with me: To treat my writing like the career it is, rather than a hobby. To honor the work, devote the time and attention to the story it deserves. To study the craft. To find the essential element in my writer "voice" that makes it unique, and to push that button as hard as I can. To think positive and give myself permission to write a crappy first draft. (A crappy first draft can be fixed, a blank page is blank.) To send the internal editor on vacation while writing the first draft. As for "karma" -- To give back to the community that supports me and to be an inspiration to other writers by reaching out to them, (even when I don't feel like it) by sharing what I've learned.
In short, it was a great weekend, and we even managed to squeeze in some girl talk and a glass or two of wine.

On the reading front -- I recently finished a YA novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor called "Sang Spell." It was fantastic -- one of those stories that really makes you think and see things in a different way. If you don't read young adult novels, I urge you to give them a try. These days, a lot of them tend to cross over into adult territory and I've discovered many wonderful stories and beautiful writing in YA stories. This weekend, I plan to start reading a book recommended to me by a friend called "The Book of Dead Birds," by Gayle Brandeis. It's a couple of years old and is about a "Young woman's struggle to come to terms with her mother's terrible past while she searches for her own place in the world." I'll let you know how I like it.

Happy Reading,

Jenny

Time Keeps On Slip-slip-slipping Away

I was told today by a good friend that she misses my blog entries, and that others have asked about them, as well. Since it's nice to be missed...here I am. I let myself fall behind on my writing while my sons were home (this photo is of my oldest, Ryan, and me), and I've been hard at it ever since, trying to catch up. (This is my excuse for not blogging for awhile!) So here's an update:

The boys came home. They flew one-way, spent three days and nights here visiting family, etc., then we drove with them to our place in Colorado and spent a couple of days and nights there. After that, on to Denver where we spent one night with my sister-in-law and went to my niece's very fun engagement party at a gorgeous home in the country. The next day we were on the road ten more hours headed for Montana to take the guys back. My husband and I spent four nights there where we all worked hard doing maintenance on our condo (which the sons live in). We also squeezed in some fun. Fishing on the gorgeous Gallatin River, etc. And it was great being with my kids again. They always make me laugh. Though a good time was had by all, I'm certain they were ready for us to hit the road again, and truth be told, we were ready to hit it! Four days and nights living in the basement of two college guys' condo was enough for me! (Here I am with my youngest, Jason.)

On the way home, we headed for Jackson Hole, Wyoming where we spent the night and had a great dinner in town. That's a very cool place, if you haven't been. Beautiful and lots of fun places on the square to check out. Puppy Marge went along on the trip, and she did great. (Here's a photo of Marge in the mountains with her friend McKenzie.
Tia stayed home with my parents who deserve a big fat present for keeping the grouchy old lady dog. See the lovely yet cranky Tia here!

As for the writing -- I took a copy of my YA on the road trip and worked on tightening it and making the narrative (I hope) stronger. Finished up the first week home and sent it off to my agent for another look. If she thinks it's ready, we'll start shopping that baby around to editors soon. Fingers crossed. Since sending it to her, I've been hard at work on my next novel for NEXT, "What She Never Expected." I've been averaging ten rough pages a day -- a LOT for this writer who likes to take it slow. My goal is to have the rough draft finished by October 1. I should be receiving information about the woman and charity I'm going to do a story about for the MORE THAN WORDS anthology around that time, and I want the month free to meet her and gather my thoughts for the story. Then I'll have the month of November and the first two weeks of December to polish up "What She Never Expected" before my deadline of Dec. 10. Whew! As you can see, I'm busy. But loving it, too. I've been a frequent fixture on the coffee deck of one of my favorite locally-owned coffee shops lately, notebook and pen in hand, scribbling away.

Last night was the first SURVIVOR show of the new season. Chances are this one will garner some controversy as they've split the teams up according to ethnic race. Being the SURVIVOR junkie I am, I had my butt firmly planted on the couch in front of the TV at 7:00 sharp. My close friend since 7th grade and fellow SURVIVOR junkie, Donna, came over and we watched together while sipping wine and making our own commentary. I also got to see photos of her adorable new granddaughter, Pere! I'm still trying to figure out how Donna is a grandmother, since we are not even CLOSE to being old enough for that...

This weekend, two of my favorite writer friends, Britta Coleman www.brittacoleman.com and Candace Havens www.candacehavens.com, fellow Divas, will be in my town for various writing events. Tonight, there will be pot luck at Jodi Thomas' house www.jodithomas.com. Tomorrow, Britta and Candy are presenting a workshop at the Panhandle Professional Writers meeting. Afterward, I'm doing a booksigning with them at Barnes and Noble. I'll post photos sometime in the next week or so. Check back. Britta's novel, POTTER SPRINGS, is out now in trade paperback. Candy's newest release, CHARMED AND DEADLY is in bookstores this month.

So...much more soon. Hope you'll come back! I promise to try to be more frequent in my blogging efforts!

Until next time...

Jenny
www.jenniferarcher.net